It was a day of mixed emotions for staff and students from the Faculty of Education and Creative Arts as the third group of students to graduate from the innovative Bachelor of Learning Management (BLM) degree at Central Queensland University Mackay celebrated their achievements.

The afternoon commenced with a barbecue in the Refectory courtyard, which was followed by 'The Jubilate', a special ceremony and cake cutting to mark the end of their studies.

In a moving ceremony the Sub-dean of Education and Creative Arts in Mackay, Ms Cecily Knight addressed the 59 third-year students and talked about the BLM degree, which has become increasingly recognised as a leading qualification that ensures students are ‘workplace ready and futures orientated’.

According to Ms Knight: “Key features of this degree are that it is authentic and dynamic in response to the ever-changing needs of industry partners. Students have a capacity to understand what it means to be leaders and innovators, to be creative and entrepreneurial and to see problems as opportunities rather than threats".

Invited guest Mr Simon Watkins from the Catholic Education Office, himself a teacher and past Principal of 3 Catholic Primary Schools in Queensland, congratulated the students on their successes and praised Central Queensland University for its “outstanding degree program”, citing the recent ACER (Australian Council for Educational Research) report, which hails the BLM as an innovative and relevant pre-teacher degree.

Mr Watkins spoke from personal experience when he said, “BLM graduates are second to none - the quality of graduates from the BLM program exceeds others".

The guest congratulated the academic staff on their “excellent degree program” and welcomed the third-year students to the noble profession of teaching.

Mr Grant Webb from the Department of Education and Arts also praised the outstanding qualities of graduates from the BLM program and commented that BLM graduates have “the most relevant knowledge of the best pedagogical practices".

The Bachelor of Learning Management degree program, which is increasingly recognised at a national level as a leading program for training teachers, has been praised for its unique industry partnerships which provide students the opportunity to learn from professionals with relevant and recent school experience.

Third-year students are awaiting their final-year results and will officially graduate from Central Queensland University Mackay at the graduation ceremony held in July 2006.

Photo above: Third-year BLM students Amanda Walz and Paul Alexander have the honour of cutting the cake, marking the end of their studies for their Bachelor of Learning Management Degree.

Photo left: BLM students enjoyed 'The Jubilate', which culminated in an afternoon tea in the foyer of the CQCM.